deercountry | If I had died

Entry tags:

If I had died

Who: SHIRO & OPEN
What: Catchall for December Shenanigans, House Meeting, Event, Silent Hill Player Plot
When: All through the month.
Where: Mouse House, Around Trench

Content Warnings: Silent Hill type imagery/body horror, violence against snowmen, will update as needed

See the headers below for specifics!

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Chloe's listening, nodding along like it's totally normal to be talking about new blood types. She'd vaguely heard about it, but hadn't looked into the details, because honestly? Blood wigs her out at this point. Great place to be stuck with that particular phobia. Thanks, Trench.

But then he's mentioning elemental powers and Chloe stops her mixing of the eggs to look at him.

"Hold the fuck up." She pulls the whisk from the bowl, pointing it in his direction as she gives a suspicious glare. "Are you giving me a 'Yer a wizard, Harry' speech right now? Because that's what this shit is sounding like."

"I have no idea what that means, but... maybe?"

His eyes are drawn to the whisk. And the bits of food stuck to it. Is that going to fall on the floor? Gross. He shrugs, helplessly.

"Adam and I can't do anything 'magical'," he continues. "But a lot of other people can. And do. It definitely seems magical to me. Some of them throw fire around, or generate ice... other people glow."

"Nevermind." It would've been less weird to introduce him to the series if she didn't know one Luna Lovegood. Made things less... fuzzy.

Either way. Food will probably fall on the floor regardless. Chloe is not the most clean of cooks, but her food makes up for it. She goes back to whisking a second later, though, and after she decides there's enough air in the eggs, she goes to start to hunt for a pan.

"Glow? Like Lance?" She frowns. "I don't wanna be a nightlight."

He shrugs - okay, if Chloe says nevermind like that, then it's fine. It's not like she's doing what both of them do and writing off her feelings with the word.

If any egg does fall on the floor, there will be a black and white furball taking advantage. And then sitting at her feet expectantly. Yep, the cat's still here.

"If you haven't glowed by now, you're probably not going to," he admits. "It's a moonlight thing, I think. Or emotional thing. Or both." Which is the most helpful. "Easiest way to tell? Get a nosebleed or a hangnail."

Chloe stares at him for a moment as she lets the pan heat up. There's a pause as she looks around, before grabbing an actually clean knife and goes to just... cut the tip of her finger with it.

Who has time to wait for hangnails?

There's a moment where the blood comes out liquidy, but it freezes into crystals seconds later. Excuse her while she stares at that blankly because how do you even process it?

"Well that's fucked up."

Frankly, Shiro nearly clambers over the table to try and ... do something... when she moves to nick her finger. Even though it's just a tiny cut. He's able to rein himself back in, but ends up with his face down on the table once she comments.

For the love of...

"Congrats," he mutters, his voice muffled by the table itself. "You're a Coldblood. Hot and cold don't effect you hardly at all."

A beat. "Please don't do that again."

"Oh, please, I barely nicked it," she says with a small eye roll. "You're such a worry wart."

Like he doesn't have absolute reason to be.

She puts the knife in the sink before turning back to the cooking she'd been doing. Longest omlette in history.

"... Are there any downsides to the whole... blood thing?"

"Yes. Yes I am."

It's still muffled from the tabletop. But he does finally relent, and prop his chin up on his folded arms instead. Thinking that one over.

"Depends on the month," he admits. "It... changes. A lot. But I'm also not that familiar with how coldblood works. You might have to find someone who's got it."

"Rely on strangers?" Chloe pulls a face, flipping the egg when it starts to crisp at the edges. "I think I'd rather let it surprise me."

That is a terrible idea and she knows it, so it won't actually happen, but she has to complain somewhere.

"I'm sick of weird power shit making life complicated."

"I... think Keith is one," he says, quietly. He's well aware that could be a sore spot, so he adds: "It's just an option. I'm sure I know more than I can remember off the top of my head, but - he's an option."

He won't be offended if she says no. Hopefully, Chloe knows that much by now. But her last comment gets a rueful sort of smile.

"I'd trade, if I could." A huff that's probably meant to be a laugh. "I can't do anything. Makes helping you guys out a real hassle."

Chloe's shoulders tense instinctively at Keith's name, but she forces them to relax. She likes to think the fresh start Keith has offered her is real, but it's hard to imagine at the moment.

"Mm. Cool. I guess I could ask."

Something to bond over, maybe.

She finishes up the omlette, going to place it down on a plate and then in front of Shiro. She snorts at his comment, though, before she realizes he's serious.

"Don't you like. Protect a whole ass galaxy? I'm sure you have ways to help just fine, even without stupid powers. They're overrated."

"You don't have to," he says, almost immediately. Almost as soon as she finishes speaking. Like he'd seen the tension in her for that moment. "I mean that. I'm sure I know more than just him, if you don't feel up for it."

No judgment here. Then again, it is Shiro. Judgment reserved for really, really stupid moments.

"No, really. When it comes to needing blood around here, I am pretty use--" Yeah he doesn't get to finish. His whole face flinches like someone just elbowed him in the ribs. And then he sighs. "Okay, you both win. You're right..."

It actually takes him a second to elaborate, because his eyes turn distant for that moment. "- Right. So... I should probably mention something else you missed..." Shiro why are you looking sheepish. What did you do. "Nothing bad! Promise."

"No. No, it's cool. I need to... get to reknow him, y'know? It could be like a super literal ice breaker or something. Get it? Because... our blood is... ice..."

She's not even trying to make that joke sound any less lame here.

There is a look that he gets when he assures her it isn't anything bad, the kind that shows she doesn't quite know if she believes him. "Does it have anything to do with the fact that you just used the word 'both' in a way that is unintentionally hella creepy considering that you're talking to a singular person?"

"Or fire. Sometimes."

The lame joke does make him smile a bit, though. So her mission there, at least, is accomplished.

And then he rubs at the back of his neck. Slowly turning a little pink. "Yeah, it does." The color in his cheeks doesn't fade, so he bites the proverbial bullet, and holds up his left hand. Wearing his ring. "We uh. We got married. Here, where that can mean you get pretty much mentally bonded to each other, too."

"Just what the world needed. Me playing with fire."

She's going to burn down the city before the month is out, she just knows it.

She leans forward to squint at the ring, knowing full well what it is and what it means before he even says it. There's a part of her that feels like she should be shouting congratulations, giving him a hug, telling him how happy she is for both of them. And she is happy for them, because if anyone deserved a second chance, it's probably Adam and Shiro.

But instead she gives a monotone: "Yuck." Very mature. She stands straight again, folding her arms over her chest. "If I ever needed another reason to avoid marriage, that's definitely it."

"At least you won't need a lighter."

To start a campfire. Or anything else Chloe has ever needed a lighter for.

He lowers his hand, shaking his head at her reaction. It's a classic Chloe - he honestly wasn't expecting more than that. But she deserved an explanation of why he occasionally spaces out from time to time, like he's listening to someone else. Which he is.

"Your support means everything," he says, just as deadpan. "But - it's not mandatory. We just thought... if we ever lost each other..."

The bond would still be there.

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If I had died

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cw for the most mild of self-harm, she has No Fear

gdit chloe

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